OXFORD – Selectmen voted Thursday night to keep an appropriation for the town’s rescue department in the 2006 budget that will go before voters in June.
The selectmen’s vote to allocate $168,921 for Oxford Fire and Rescue had one condition: that an additional article be put on the warrant this year asking voters if they want the town to look into a different service for next year.
Past attempts to change from Oxford Fire and Rescue have been rejected by voters.
Town Manager Michael Chammings told selectmen he personally recommended continuing using the town’s service, since that would give town officials ample time to pursue a variety of options in the future, not just PACE ambulance based in Norway. While options are being pursued, Chammings told the board, “this gives you the security of having the ambulance service budgeted for the year.”
Selectman Floyd Thayer agreed with Chammings’ logic. “You’d have time to look at everything, all the options,” he said.
Selectman Lois Pike abstained from voting because she is a volunteer for Oxford Fire and Rescue.
In other budget business, selectman voted to follow the Budget Committee’s recommendations instead of Chammings’ on two line items. They agreed to recommend that voters approve a $15,150 allocation for the town’s social agencies, $2,000 less than Chammings’ figure.
Selectmen are also recommending that voters slash $90,000 from the account that gives residents a 2 percent discount for paying their property taxes on time. Recommendations by Chammings, the Budget Committee and selectmen will appear next to those line items on the budget article on the warrant.
Chammings’ recommended budget is $3,051,240, down $74,668, from last year.
The total recommended budget of the selectmen and Budget Committee is $2,958,740.
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